Ecological Living and all that goes into it. Here are some of my favorite Architectural Plans and ideas for rural sustainable living, off the grid. Surely, if I had it to do all over again, Architecture would have been added to my metier. It's never too late!
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If you would like to post your own notices here, or useful company info, send an email to CTodd1000 (at) gmail.com. Gracias!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

More notes, and they aren't organized; put in just as I keep finding info. It takes so much to finally get basic info with different ideas. But finally it gets culled down to something that really works. I'm going to pick up materials tomorrow (I leave Thurs. for Guatemala) at hardware and plumbing supply stores to take some different things with me. I'm going to look for a hole cutter drill attachment large enough to make the job go easier. Is there a hand drill for this?

I'm going to go over all this with my architect/engineer when I get back to Lake Atitlan and we'll install some and do some tests. I am just thrilled with the idea, as it's one of the best and easiest recycling projects I've seen yet. That and solar hot water via black plastic tubing or plastic water bottles. Can't wait to get started!

Thank you for re-inspiring me right before I leave for Guatemala and I have just enough days to get some materials together. Keep in touch with whatever else you find, as I'll make up real instructions in English and Spanish and post them as a downloadable pdf on the LakeAtitlanDirectory.com I'm creating and the eco-architecture blog I maintain. Here at Eco-Architecture: http://catherinetoddarchitecture.blogspot.com/

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I really like this new video which is one of the best that shows actual installation instructions:

Since the plastic bottles last up to 300 years (guestimate I've heard) I don't know why people are saying they will last "one, two or five years." Are they thinking of evaporation? Mold? Cap failure? Caulk failure?

As you said, the rain guard/ flange would have to be something really cheap, which is what using the tin roofing square is. I'd like to take it a step further and use a plastic/rubber rain guard and a wire cage to hold the bottle if I can figure out how to make/find them cheap enough. Another recycled goods project?

As far as cutting into wooden houses or roofs in Mexico: The idea of the light bulb bottle is that they don't have to cut large holes in walls, and buy/install windows. Not everyone is skilled to do this. Plus this doesn't work where the rooms are close to each other and don't get direct light. Plus cutting a hole is a lot easier than installing a window. Just about anyone can do it.

I think the ADJUSTABLE MULTI SIZE RAIN COLLAR looks like the best bet so far.

www.ipscorp.com

Features
•
Can be used to repair the elastomer sealing collar on all types of residential "No Caulk" roof vent flashings quickly and easily
•
Eliminates the need for a mastic or caulking type messy repair job
•
Can be used to instantly repair a leak during a wet period, until the flashing can be replaced at a later time
•
Large size covers the entire existing elastomer collar
•
Fully tested for Ultraviolet, Ozone, and Weather Resistance
•
Individual Sizes and Multi Size adjustable models available
•
Better appearance than a mastic repair job, which means a more satisfied customer

Don't see the product you need? Call Customer Service at 800-888-8312.

I also found that gray caulk you see in the video. It's called Vulcaseal. Another facebook entry said:

See: use silicon sealant instead of Vulcaseal (which is only in the Philippines… the brand has evolved to become a common household item, used to seal cracks & gaps in roofing, plumbing/pipes, gutters, downspouts, sinks & P-traps. … SUPER VULCASEAL is a one-component sealant for use on and between all common household, automotive and construction materials.)

Nojj Jatt wrote on FB: I'm also building a solar bulb, just like the one you posted in your account, but my design consist of two mineral bottles instead of one, and i use a silicon sealant instead of vulcaseal. My project is still progressive, maybe i can upload it on youtube by sometime this week. Skeptic kas talagai ako kung maliwanag ba talaga, but i am positively hopeful that it is. :)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Liter-of-Light-Isang-Litrong-Liwanag/181127878593329
Another way to get light into a house:
I lived in a beautiful wooden casita when I first went to Guatemala that an American had built out of an old shed. It had a plexiglass strip all around 3 sides of the house up under the ceiling/roof line. It let in so much light all the time I would think I had left the lights on when I would be leaving, and I'd keep flipping the switch! Everyone that visited thought the same thing, and the Guatemalans couldn't believe how much light the house had. I wonder if we could do something like that with plastic bottles.

I've seen the bottle bulb listed as good for one year or five years. I've seen so many discrepancies about the simple materials used but NOTHING about the most important thing, THE SEALING CAULK.

And you're right: any kind of flange

On Sun, Sep 11, 2011 at 11:30 AM, Melody wrote:

Yep, just an educated guess, but you’re right, it would be nice to have some more practical information. I would say that the bottle will hold up, though, I doubt that it would start to leak. They have a half-life of about 1000 years, right?

Whatever the flange is, it would have to be easily and cheaply home-made. Otherwise the purpose of this almost-free light source is nullified.

Lots to think about! I’ve contacted a friend here who is Mexican-American and very active in the community to ask if this could be a helpful thing in out environs. Because they are plywood homes, people can cut windows easily, so light might not be a problem here.

Thanks for writing back, Melody! I'm so glad I put my email on the video.

I have read a number of concerns over the caps failing due to UV rays, as a different type of plastic is used as is used for the clear bottle. I will try to find more information about this. Small scale or large scale, I wouldn't want the bottle to fail and water and bleach get splashed all over the house!

Just because "most videos" show something one way, it doesn't mean it's the correct way. Especially when it's just the same repeated information, over and over.

This is often what happens with alternative ideas. They get executed poorly and are sloughed off, so this solar bottle bulb is such a great idea I hope we can do it right.

Why would the water and bleach solution need to be changed after one or two years? Did you read this somewhere or is it an educated guess? I have wondered about this "estimate" and again, no real information is given. I don't know why the "million light bulbs" guy in the video hasn't posted instructions on his website. So many people are interested... I know I'll post them for free when I have a real working model.

The fact that you are using plywood roofs might make it even better, since you might have to use some kind of cage that the bottle sits in, with a flange that fits over the roof opening, like a stove pipe that goes through the roof. Some of the rooms I'm going to be installing the lights in have concrete roofs (the entire building is concrete) so I'm thinking along those lines myself.

Let's definitely keep in touch. I posted our email with my questions on my eco-architecture blog, without your email address. If you want me to take your part out, I will. But it's so important I wanted to keep all the info together for the time being.

http://catherinetoddarchitecture.blogspot.com/

Thanks again for writing. You have re-inspired me to test out this product and I'll go to Lowe's and get some parts before I leave next week for Guatemala!

Catherine Todd

On Sun, Sep 11, 2011 at 12:52 AM, Melody wrote:

Hi, Catherine,

You put your email on one of the YouTube videos. I understand your concerns, and if you’re going to try it large-scale then I see why you want answers first. But maybe the answer is to try it small-scale and work out the details that way.

In my case, the buildings here are made of plywood mostly, so I’d have to talk to some builder friends and discover the best way to attach the bottle. Only one person in all the videos I saw mentioned the film canister. I don’t think that’s a concern, most videos just show a bottle with a regular cap:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziT3XYE2xSA&feature=share

As for replacing it, my understanding is that you would only have to replace the water and bleach. Even if the person would need to replace the entire bottle, it should be a matter of climbing on the roof and pulling it out and replacing it. Like you, I think the method of cutting the roofing material with tin snips to create a flange is the best way to do it.

I had pieced together instructions from all over the web, but these are a nice list with two good videos. But I see some discrepancies and some questions that still remain. I'm sick right now on medication, so I'm not very well organized below, but here are my thoughts. Let me know what you find out.

This idea is so great that I will pay someone to draw up real instructions in Spanish and English if we can get a real, working model. Then we need to start doing real tests.

I'm finding a few problems with the simplistic instructions found on the web.

I'm going to see what my architect & engineer in Guatemala thinks about this when I get back next week.

1. Bottle cap may fail due to UV rays. Instructions say "use film dispenser cap" to protect the cap. No one has "film dispenser caps" anymore since we are all digital.

2. I've seen instructions for coating the bottle cap with caulk to protect it from the sun's rays, or people have just capped it with a regular bottle cap, as shown in the video. Who knows what might happen?

3. I also wonder about: "The solar bulb is expected to last up to two years before it needs changing."

What part(s) will need changing - i.e. fail - within two years? I'll do a test and start the process.

4. I've seen the square piece of tin roofing material caulked on the underside and then riveted down on all four corners, with the edges of the plate, all rivets and the plastic bottle cap covered with caulk. Or just caulked on the edges. Seems like rivets are a better way to go.

5. I've seen "clean water" and "purified water" instructed to be used, and "don't use tap water or mold will grow". Since you add bleach, I'm not sure what if any the difference is.

I spoke to an engineer in the states about this solar bottle bulb idea and he pointed out something important:

6. It is only the caulk that keeps the bottle in place.

He felt that there was a good possibility the caulk could fail within one to two years, and "probably during the rainy season." He cautioned me against cutting holes in people's roofs without "seeing how this plays out first."

7. Perhaps we can add a cage of some kind to hold the bottle so it wouldn't depend solely on caulk for keeping it in place.

8. I'm also going to bring some of the best outdoor caulk I can find when I return to Guatemala. There's no guarantee that high-quality caulk will be available when I get there, or at what location or price.

9. Hole in plate: Check the video on my website that shows the actual construction of the metal plate, that has small tabs cut on the inside of the circle and are bent into place.

http://catherinetoddarchitecture.blogspot.com/

That is better than the simple instructions below that say

"Step 2. Make a hole in the 1’x1’ roof sheet material, just the same size of the bottle’s circumference..."

10. On the link you found and on my eco-blog there is a video of an engineer from Brazil who installed these solar water bottle bulbs in his workshop three years ago, and started this idea. He used film dispensers over his bottle caps. I don't know how they've held up. I am going to try and contact him if I can find any kind of contact information.

11. Water:

Step 1. Fill the 1.5 liter clear soda bottle with purified water then add 3 tablespoons of liquid bleach and tightly seal the cap. Do not use tap water because this will allow the growth of moss.

I don't think it matters what kind of water is used, as long as it's clean, if it has bleach in it which will prevent moss. If you are using "purified water" then you aren't recycling used bottles, as you might as well just buy the liters or refill them from a larger container.

11.b. Cap: I also don't know what "tightly seal the cap" means. If you don't caulk it, I wonder how much will dissipate? Seems like a lot.

12. Bleach: I think the Brazilian engineer used two capfuls of bleach but I've also read using 1 capful. Your link says "three tablespoons." It should be just enough bleach to keep mold from growing in the water. I don't know how much that really is, so this will need to be tested.

13. Indoor Tubing:

A scientist friend of mine has suggested running two pieces of plastic tubing from the bottle down the inside of a wall and putting a reflector behind it. He said leave the tubing movable "for close work" and the reflector would really help brighten the house. So I think there has got to be something to this.

My architecture blog with everything I could find about the solar bottle bulb:

http://catherinetoddarchitecture.blogspot.com/

Here's the instructions from the link you found below.

Thanks for writing and please let's keep in touch! I'm really excited about this project and want to do it right. CT

Instead of kerosene, a solar-powered light bulb
Customisable window collects solar energy
Buy a bottle of wine and donate clean water
Water-bottle refills at cafés, now with a charitable twist
How to Make Solar Cell
From Japan, gardening in reused bottle caps
Connecting owners and renters of solar-friendly rooftops
New water purity sensor offers a breakthrough for solar disinfection
Solar smartphone comes with eco bragging rights
Dutch solar cycle path generates electricity
Solar-powered pest control
How to Make Inexpensive Laundry Detergent

"The winds of grace blow all the time. All we need do is set our sails."
~ Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa ~ Gospel of Ramakrishna

All sorrows can be borne if you tell a story about them.
~ Karen Blixen

Peace and justice are goals for man.
~ Mahatma Gandhi

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More comments with great ideas:

1. @CommentsSurvey Good questions, im guessing Glass Bottles would work just as well, and there is some very good quality silicone out these days, rated to last years , it would be quite easy to change the water /chlorine if needed, hop on the roof, unscrew the cap suck it out with something and refill it., yeah great idea, i need some in my dark (no sun) room
MrWompycat 8 hours ago

2. @CommentsSurvey easy to improve on design if lucky enough to have access to 'better' tools, pre fab parts, top notch silicone etc, there is already so many pre fab parts for plumbing, sky lights, wood stove flanges, massive 'worm clips, hose clamps' to fix solidly and professionally into a roof.. and use glass bottles if available.
MrWompycat 7 hours ago

3. @CommentsSurvey Yes it is a fantastic idea. I like the idea of the cage but I think they are limited in resources. Since the bottles have those nubs on the bottom of them, it may be easy to use 2 pieces of wire to create a simple holder and attach it to 4 small holes in the steel panel at the top. You would cut 2 pieces of wire twice as lon as the bottle; make a cross out of the wire joining them in the middle and twisting just once;
MsSuke13 14 minutes ago

4.
y CONTINUED: then place the middle cross section of the wire in the centre of the bottom of the bottle and bend them up around the bottle using the nubs as notches to hold them in place. Hook the ends through holes in the tin panel and secure. Also caulk the holes so no rain gets in.

I also wonder if salt would work instead of chlorine to stop mold etc?? Unless salt is more expensive. I don't like the idea of the chlorine going into the environment at the end. LOL
MsSuke13 11 minutes ago

Response:

1. Glass bottles with metal cap. Cap would not deteriorate, but use caulk to prevent evaporation? Industrial strength silicone:

2. Tools: what tools? I am going to bring whatever tools and materials I need to Guatemala. Parts: I’ve been looking at all kinds of plumbing pipe, roof and rain guards made in the USA. They are expensive here but maybe we could copy the idea. Industrial strength silicone.

Why use glass bottles? Part of the idea is that the plastic bottles are recycled and trashed right now.

What are 'worm clips, hose clamps' to attach into roof? How is this different than the Vulca…. Used in the Philippines?

3. HOLDER: “…Since the bottles have nubs on the bottom of them, use 2 pieces of wire to create a simple holder and attach it to 4 small holes in the steel panel at the top. Cut 2 pieces of wire twice as long as the bottle; make a cross out of the wire joining them in the middle and twisting just once; then place the middle cross section of the wire in the centre of the bottom of the bottle and bend them up around the bottle using the nubs as notches to hold them in place. Hook the ends through holes in the tin panel and secure. Caulk the holes so no rain gets in.

3b. Would salt would work instead of chlorine to stop mold etc?? Unless salt is more expensive. I don't like the idea of the chlorine going into the environment at the end.

That’s an EXCELLENT idea. And chlorine is no laughing matter. I’m going to try both and see what happens. Anyone have an answer?

No comments:

About Me

I live between Oxford, North Carolina, New York City USA and Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, Central America; build and garden in both. LOVE IT!
Aquarius, Year of the Tiger
Email info and suggestions to CatherineTodd2 (at) gmail (dot) com.